Guard for wood-heel-turning machines



March 29, 1927.

R. H. PETTENGILL GUARD FOR WOOD HEEL TURNING MACHINES Filed June 17, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 March Z9 1927. 1,622,838

R. H. PETTENGlLL GUARD FOR WOOD HEEL TURNING MACHI'NES Filed June 1'?. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'IL t' Patented I Mar. l29, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GUARD FOR WOOD-HEEL-TURNING MACHINES.

Application led June 17, 1926. Serial No. 116,684.

about vertical axes suitably spaced from I.each other and a jack or blank holder which 1s adapted to be swung horizontally, to present the opposite sides of the blank to the cutters successively.

In the operation of these machines accidents have occurred mostfrcquently during the time when the operator is changing the blank, which is usually done when the jack is drawn back and held midway of the cutters, one of the hands of the operator then being necessarily held in somewhaty close proximityv thereto.

The objects of my invention are to provide a machine, of the type above referred to, with means which will ositively shield the hands of the operator rom the cutters when the jack is in its middle position and .will be moved to permit the heel blank to be carried into osition to be operated on by either cutter w ien the jack is moved into a position to present the blank thereto and which will not in any way interfere with the normal operation of the machine, so that the production speed of the machine will in no way be reduced.

' I accomplish these objects, primarily, by providing a guard plate which is mounted in front of the cutters and is normally held, when the vjack'is held in the position in which the blank is changed in a position in which it is interposed between both cutters and the blank 4holding; means of the jack, means being provided whereby the plate will be automatically moved out of its' interposed position with relation to either cutter by the movement of the jack into operative relation with such cutter.

For a more complete understanding of the invention referencev is made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a heel turning machine provided with a preferred embodiment of m invention.

Fig. 2 is a ront elevation of a portion thereof. L

Fig. 3 is a detail view of a portion of the guard plate actuating means. i

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine.

Fig. 5 is a front View thereof and Fig. 6 is a detail view of the guard operating means.

The turning machine illustrated in the drawlng is of a well known type, and only those parts will be referred to which are directly associated with the mechanism i1- lustratmg the embodiment of my invention. Said machine comprises the frame 9 in which two vertical cutter shafts 10 and 12 are mounted, and to the upper ends of which cutter blades l1 and 13 are respectively secured. A jack 14, having a common form of heel blank clamping means 15, is mounted on the upper end o'f a vertical shaft 16 to swing vertically about a pivot 17 connecting the same thereto, while it `rests on the inclined track 18,.which determines its angular position. The shaft 16 is rotatably mounted in a horizontal arm 19, which is secured to a vertical pivot shaft 20, mounted in bearings 21 and located in a position in which its axis is equidistant from the cutter shafts 10, 12 and at a short distance in front of the vertical plane of the axes of said cutter shafts. It is to be particularly noted that the arm 19 is secured to the shaft 20, by pins, set screws or other suitable means, so that, when the arm is swung in either direction, as the jack is moved horizontally into operative relation with either cutter, said shaft 2O will be moved rotatably in a corresponding direction.

According to my invention, a bracket 22 is secured on the upper side of the frame 9, midwa between the cutters 11, 13 and extends orwardly over the shaft 20. A shaft 24 is mounted to rotate about a horizontal axis, in a lug 23 depending from the under side of said bracket 22, the rear end of said shaft 24 being also held in a bearing recess in the bracket base and said shaft 24 being so arranged that its axis intersects a continuation of the axis of shaft 20. A bevel gear 25 is secured on the front end of shaft- 24, which is arranged in mesh with a bevel gear 26 secured on the upper end of shaft 20. A flat guard plate 28 is secured on the front end of shaft 24 in a vertical plane at right angles thereto, said plate beine' approximately semicircular in shape andbhav-4 to such points that a portion thereof is disposed directly in front of each cutter head 11, 13, as shown in 2. While the exact shape of said plate 28 is not essential, the construction shown is preferable, the upper edge being formed on an aic having the axis of shaft 24 as a center, said are meeting end edges which, in the middle position, of the plate will be parallel to and eqnidistant from a vertical line thru the axis of shaft 24:. The distance between said end edges is approximately equal to the distance between the most widely separated portions of the paths of the edges of the cutter blades and the lowei edge of said plate, except the ear portion 29 to which shaft 24 is connected, is approximately at the level of the lower ends of the blades, the upper edge of the plate being above the level of the upper ends of the bla-des at all points. As practically all of the plate is disposed at one side of the shaft 24, a counter weight 30 is provided on said shaft at the opposite side thereof from the plate 28.

A spring 32 is coiled about shaft 24: and interposed between the lug 23, on bracket 22, and said counter-weight. so that the spring normally acts to hold the gears 25, 26 iii mesh, the arrangement permitting the shaft 24 to be drawn forward sutiiciently to disengage the gears, as shown in Fig. 6, and permit the plate 28 to be moved to a position at one side of either cutter, when `1t is desired to change or adjust the same, without moving the jack.

With the above described construction, it will be apparent that, when the shaft 20 is moved rotatably in one direction. the shaft 24 will be correspondingly rotated in the opposite direction and the guard plate 28 will be swung therewith. The gears 25 and 26 are engaged in such relation that, when the arm 19 is in its middle position, so that it is perpendicular to a line between the axes of the cutter shafts, the plate 28 will be in its middle position above the shaft 24, as shown in Fig. 2, in which position the end portions of the plate extend in front of the cutters, respectively, so that when the operator changes the blanks, while the jack is held in its middle position, his hands will be entirely shielded from the rotating cutters, and at the same time the blank changing operation will not be interfered with.

Vhen the turning operation is to be performed, the jack is swung horizontally to carry the blank into engagement with one of the cutters, and, in moving the jack into position to start the turning operation at one side, the aim 19 will be swung thru approximately causing the shaft 2O to be moved rotatably to the saine extent, in the direction to which the arm is swung. This will cause a corresponding, but opposite rotation of the shaft 24, so that, if the arm 19 is swung to the right, the shaft 24 will be rotated to the left, causing the plate 28 also to be swung away tothe left, or 4from its position in front of the right hand cutter to a position practically entirely in front of the left hand cutter as shown in Fig. 5. As the plate 28 begins to be moved from in front of the right hand cutter as soon as the aiin 19 begins to be swung towards it, the

plate will he moved out of a position ni which it might obstruct the movement of the jack into position to present the blank to the cutter, so that the plate will in no way interfere with the turning operation. `Wheii the jack-is then swung back and into operative relation with the left hand cutter, the plate 28 will be swung over in front of the right hand cutter, or into the opposite position to that shown in Fig. 5. The plate will then be returned to middle position by movement of the jack to its middle position at the end of the operation. As the guard plate 2S is counterbalanced by the counter-weight 30, the presence of the guard plate is practically without effect on the operation of the machine, as it neither iinpedes the operation of swinging the jack, nor causes the motion thereof to be accelerated or retarded to any appreciable extent at any point.

' lVheIi it is desired to change, reset or sharpen the blades of either cutter the shaft 24 will be drawn forward so as to disengage the gears 25, 26, permitting the plate 28 to be swung from in front of the cutter while the jack remains in its middle position. That is, the plate will be moved to the position of Fig. 5, to permit ready access to the right hand cutter, and to the opposite position, to permit ready access to the left hand cutter, while the jack remains in its 'middle position.

I claim:

1. In a machine of the character described. a pair of opeiating devices held in spaced relation, a work holder mounted between said operating devices and movable from a middle position into` operative relation with either one thereof, a guard arranged to be held in a position interposed between said operating devices and the holder when the latter is in its middle position and means arranged to be actuated by movement of the holder in either direction from said middle position, to move said guard from its interposed position with relation to the operatingr device towards which the holder is moved. i

2. In a machine of the character described, a pair of operating devices held in spaced relation, a work holder mounted between said operating devices 'and manually movabl'.` from a middle position into operative relation with either one thereof. a guard. and means for holding said guard in position to be interposed between both of said operating devices and said holder when the latter is in adapted to be held in a position in which it i is interposed between both of said. operating devices and said holder when the holder is in its middle position, supporting means for holding said guard plate in said interposed position, and connections between said supporting means and said holder for moving said plate edgewit'e out of interposed position with relation to the operating device vtowards which the holder is moved.

4. In a machine of the character described,

a pair of operating devices held in prede-' termined spaced relation, a work holder mounted in front of said operating devices and movable rearwardly and laterally from an intermediate position withrelation thereto into operative relation with either one thereof, a guard plate adapted to extend in front of both ot said operating devices in proximity thereto in position to befinterposed between said devices and said holder when the latter is in said intermediate position, a pivotal support for said plate arranged to permit the same to be swung edgewise in either direction from said position to permit the holder tobe moved into operative relation with either operating device,

and connections between said pivotal support and said holder for swinging said plate from in front of either one ot said operating devices as the holder is moved into operative relation with such operatingdevice.

5. In a machine of the character described, a pair of cutters mounted torotate about parallel axes, `a work holder, an arm on which said holder is mounted, said arm being arranged to swing about an axis intermediate said cutter' axes to carry said holder in either direction from a middle po-4 sition and to present the work to either cutter, a guard having means to support. the same in a position interposed between both of said cutters and said holder, when the latter is in its middle position, and means arranged to be actuated'by said armas it is swung to ,carry said holder towards either cutter to move said guard from its interposed position with relation to the cutter towards .which the arm .is swung. y

6. In a-'maehine of the character described, a pair of critters mounted to rotate about parallel axes, a work holder mounted to swing about a center intermediate said axes to carry the holder in either direction from a middle position in front of said cutters to positions 1n which it presents the work to one or the other thereof, a guard plate mounted to swing in front of said cutters and in a plane approximately parallel to the plane of their axes, said plate being adapted and arranged, Iwhen held in its middle position, to extend in front of both cutters si-j multaneously and in a position interposed between the same and the middle position of the holder,' and connections between said plate and holder so arranged that when the holder is swung towards either critter the plate will be swung out of its interposed position with relation to such cutter.

7 In a machine of the character described, a pair of cutters mounted to rotate about parallel axes, a work holder mounted to swing about a center intermediate said axes to carry the holder in either direction from a middle position in front of said cutters to positions 1n which it presents the work to one or the other thereof, a guard plate mounted to swing in front lof said cutters and in a plane approximately parallel to the plane of their axes, said plate being adapted and arranged, whenheld in its middle position, `to extend in front of both cutters simultaneously and in a position interposed between the same and the middle position of the holder, and inter-meshed gears connected 'to said plate and holder respectively-and arranged to rotate about the respective axes of movement thereof, so that when the holder is swung in one direction the plate will be swung in the opposite direction, said plate being so arranged that it will be held in its middle position when the holder is in the middle position thereof,'and will be moved thereby out of its interposed position with relation to the cutter towards which the holder is moved whenmo'ved from said middle position.

8. In a machine of the character described, a pair of cutters mounted to rotate about vertical axes, a pivot shaft mounted to rotate about a vertical axis intermediate said cutter axes, a work holder secured on said pivot shaft and arranged to be swung thereby in either direction from a middle position to carry the work into position to be operated on by either cutter, a horizontally disposed auxiliary shaft rotatably mounted intermediate said cutter axes and having a guard plate tixed thereon in right angular relation,-said plate being so constructed and 'arranged that, when it is in its middle position, itwill be interposed between both cutters and the middle position of the holder, and a connection between said pivot shaft and said'auxiliary shaft, so arranged that said plate and holder will be simultaneous ly held in their lrespective middle positions and that when said holder is -moved towards either cutter from said position, said plate will he moved out of interposed position with relation thereto.

S). ln a machine ot the character described, a pair of cutters mounted to rotate about vertical axes, a pivot shaft mounted to rotate about a vertical axis intermediate said cutter axes. a work holder secured on said pivot f shaft and arranged to be swung thereby in either direction 'trom a middle position to carry the work into position to be operated on by either cutter, a horizontally disposed auxiliary shaft rotatably mounted intermediate said cutter axes and having a. guard plate liXed thereon in right angular relation, said plate being so constructed and arranged that. when it is in its middle position it will be interposed between both cutters and the middle position ot' the holder, intermeslr ing gears on said pivot shaft and said auxiliary shat't respectively whereby swinging nimf'emcnt ot said holder in either direction will cause corresponding rotational movement ot' said Shafts and plate, and means permitting disengagement ot said gears to permit said plate to be set in either i`nterposed position when the holder is in its middle position, said plate being constructed and 30 arranged to be moved out of its interposed position with relation to either cutter upon partial rotation ot' its shaft in one direction or the other.

10. In a machine of the character described, a pair ot cutters mounted to rotate about vertical axes, a work holder mounted intermediate said cutters to swing horizontally in front thereot' and oppositely movable from a middle position to present the work thereto successively, a guard plate mounted to swing about a horizontal axis :intermediate said cutter axes, and in parallel relation to the plane ot the cutter axes, said plate being so constructed and arranged that, when it is in its middle position, it will be disposed substantially entirely above a horizontal line at the level of itsaxis and will extend in front ot both cutters tor approximately the entire width thereotl and in the rear of the middle position ot' the holder, and connections between said holder and plate arranged to hold them simultaneously in their respective middle positions and to swing said plate from its position in front ot' one or the other ot said cutters corresponding to the one towards which the holder is moved from its middle position.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specilication.

RALPH HOlVARD PETTENGILL. 

